Wrench



June 5,1923.

WRENCH Filed Dec. 7

.lume 5, 119233.

O. HY DCKEY WRENCH Filed Dec. '7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .HHH I I I mfl@ H Eid@ 3114x214 foi Patented lune 5, i923 A unirse stares- ORVILLE H. DICKEY, OF WILLIADISIOVN, MISSOURI.

` WRENCH.

Application filed December 7, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, OnviLLn H. Dromer, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Villiamstown, in the county of Lewis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a quick acting wrench which is easy of adjustment. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved wrench which is positive in maintaining the jaws in relative position to engage a nut, bolt or other articles, provision being made in the design of the same to transmit forces and strains directly into the wrench structure without imposing upon the users hands, any excess strain incident to engagement of a piece of work of the wrench jaws.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a quickly adjustable non-slipping wrench of the above described character, which is compact, simple in construction, and one which will absolutely maintain an adjusted position without slipping.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wrench, showing cooperating details thereof,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view, taken through the improved wrench, and showing the relative position of wrench details.

Figure 3 is a front elevation o'f the improved wrench.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved 'wrench showing the side of said wrench opposite to that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure' 1.

Figure 6 is a'perspective view of a movable jaw used in the improved wrench.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on. the line 7'-'7 of Figure' 1. f

In the drawings," wherein for the purpose of illustration is shownl the preferred elnyooaliment army invention; vthe lette-'r A des- Serial No. 520,516.

article engaging face 13 of the jaw 12; said recess 14 opening on both marginal edges of the head 11. The recess portion 14 is of uniform width and height throughout, and is provided with a keyl extending longitudinally and parallel thereof and projecting into said recess 14. The key 15 ends just short of the rear marginal edge 16 of the head 11 to provide an abrupt face 17.

The shank portion 10 of the handle B is provided with a longitudinal recess 2O extending' from the transverse slot 14 with which it communicates, to a point short of the free end of the shank 10. The free end 21 of the shank 10 is solid, and the recess 20 upon one side 22 of the handle B extends in open manner from the solid end portion 21 to the enlarged head 11. A portion 24k is provided upon the opposite side 25, which is integral or rigid with the shank 10 and consequently the recess 20 opens upon this side 25 above and below the portion 24, to provide a substantially rectangular entrance 26 below the portion 24 and an upper opening 27; said openings 26 and 27, of course, forming openings of the recess 20 which receives the locking lever D to be subsequently described, The lower surface 29 ofthe recess 2O is bevelled to slope downwardly from the side 25 toward the side 22; the upper and lower surfaces 30 and 31 of the solid portion 24 of the shank portion 10 being bevelled or tapered in converging relation from the side 25 toward the opposite side 22.

The jaw C is the movable jaw of the irnproved wrench A, and is adapted for cooperation with the rigid jaw 12 hereinbefore described. The movable` jaw C preferably includes the segmental' shaped jaw head 35, providing the article engaging face 36 of substantially thevsame forni-ation and dimensions as 'the article'l face 13' above 'desA scribed. The jaw elements C includes the depending shank 37, which is attached to the bottom of the lhead 35, and is relatively less in width than said head 35, extending to one side of said jaw head 35 to provide va substantially L-shaped structure. AThe shank 37 preferably extends forwardly in front of the article engaging face 36 and is provided with a longitudinal groove 38 in one side 39 thereof. A plurality of teeth 40 of exactly similar formation are provided upon the lower marginal edge 41 of the shank 37. A pin or similar locking lug 45 is provided transversely through the shank 37 and upon the free end thereof to provide an extending projecting portion 46 which projects into the longitudinal slot 38 upon the end of the shank 37 opposite the jaw head 35.

rlhe jaw C is adapted forV attachment in the wrench head 11 having the shank 37 reciprocably disposed in the recess 14 and whereby the head 35 cooperates with the jaw heads 12 in manner shown in the drawings. In this assembly,`the lug 46 is adapted for cooperation against the key 15, to prevent entire disconnection of the movable jaw C from the wrench head 11. Vhen in this position, the teeth 40 of the shank 37 extend into the area of the recess 20, and certain of said teeth 40 may be selectively disposed. in said recess by relative sliding of the jaw C in the wrench head 11. The lever D is of unusual formation and has been designed for cooperation with the handle 4B of the improved wrench A to effecta compact and workable arrangement. The lever D is of the same width throughout as the recess 2O and snugly fits therein, said lever D being pivoted by a pin 47 in said recess 2O and immediately above the solid portion 24, whereby the lever D may be tipped outwardly at its upper end from the opening 29 upon the side 25 of the handle B and tipped outwardly at its lower portion from the side 22 opposite said side 25, and as is clearly illustrated in the dotted lines in Figure 2. rlhe lever D may be compactly and snugly folded within the recess 20, whereby the outer surfaces thereof lie flush with the outer surfaces of the wrench handle B and no projecting portions of the lever D are exposed to the hand-of a user. To effect this foldingv arrangement of the lever D within the handle B, a depression 39 is provided in one edge of the lever D toreceive the solid portion 24 which acts as a stop to prevent swinging of the lever D in a direction other than vits intended movement. The lower edge or bottom surface 50 of the lever D is bevelled to conform to the `bevel of the lower edge y29 of the recess 20,

land which likewise is provided to permit the leverD swinging in'only one direction e as above outlined. The upper end of the lever D 1s providedv with a plurality of teeth 52,

from the pivot point 47 of the lever D, in order that they may intermesh in proper j manner. l l

1n operation, the movable jaw C having been assembled to the handle structure B as above outlined, andv the lever Dk properly y mounted in the recess 2O upon its pivot piny 47, the article to be engaged by the faces 13 and 36 is appropriately engaged by adjustment of the jaw head 35 toward the jaw head12. This adjustment of course, can

only be effected when theteeth 52 of lever D are out of engagement with the teeth 4() in order that the jaw C may be relatively slid within the head 11. The operation of the lever D within its recess 2O may be effectedby the hand of the user which graps the shank 10. When the proper adjustment of the jaw has been effected, the lever D is forcedl inwardly by the palm of the hand of the user which grasps the shank 10, and rocking upon its pivot pin 47, will so move that the teeth 52 thereof intermesh with the v teeth 40 upon the shank 37 and maintaining the jaw C in a rigid position whereby the article to be moved is engaged intermediate the jaw heads 12 and35. The plane of movement of the lever D is at right angles to the plane of movement of the adjustable jaw C and by reasonl of the snug and exact fitting of the lever D within the shank 10,

the same cannot be displaced even in the slightest degree by any 'stresses which may be placed upon the teeth 52 thereof incident to use of the jawsv of the wrench A; this insuring a perfect and absolute adjustment which will not slide as is sometimes the case with the ordinary type of wrench.` When itbecomes necessary to again adjust the position of the jaw heads 12l and 35, the operator by means of his index finger pushes upon the outer surface 55 of the lower portion of the lever D and upon which the .inv dicia 56 is positioned, and whereby disconnection of the teeth 52 and 40 is effected for again adjusting the movable jaw C.

From` the foregoingit can, be seen that-a wrench has been provided, the workingfprinciple of which is simple; the various parts of the wrench being so formed as to insure an absolutely positive and quick adjustment.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form 7 of the i improved wrench hereinshown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handle including a jaw rigid with said handle, a movable jaw, a lever pivotally connected to said handle for movement in a plane transversely of the plane of movement of said movable aw, and adjustable interlocking means on said movable-jaw and lever', said lever being so positioned within said handle as to lie within the outer hand engaging surfaces thereof.

2. A wrench, comprising a handle having an enlarged head thereon provided with a rigid jaw and having a recess therein below said rigidjaw extending from one marginal edge of said head to t-he other, a key eX tending longitudinally and parallel within `said recess, a movable aw including a shank for sliding in said recess, said shank having a slotted way therein for the slidable reception of said key, a lug extending into the slot of said shank on the free end 'of the shank and adapted for engaging the said key to prevent disconnection of said mov able and 'rigid jaws and locking means for holding said movable jaw in adjusted relation with respect to said rigid jaw.

3. A wrench comprising a handle recessed longitudinally thereof, said recess open for the full length on one side of said handle and open at its ends upon the opposite side thereof to provide a stop portion upon said opposite side of said handle, a rigid jaw, a movable jaw, and a locking lever pivotally connected in said recess above said sto-p portion adapted for engagement with said movable jaw to lock the saine in a determined relation, said lever when so locked with said movable aw being positioned entirely within the hand engaging surfaces of said handle and adapted to swing in one direction only from said handle as determined by the stop portion in said recess.

4f. A wrench, comprising a handle, a jaw rigid on one end of said handle, said handle being recessed upon the longitudinal center thereof, a sliding jaw having a side thereof communicating into said handle recess, a locking lever pivoted intermediate its ends within the handle recess so that the same will rock transversely of the handle to extend laterally of said recess to permit adjustment of said sliding jaw, said lever when folded within the recess of the handle lying inwardly of the hand engaging surface of said handle to have an end of the lever engaging the side of said sliding jaw which communicates in said handle recess, and whereby said sliding jaw will be locked in predetermined relation to said rigid jaw.

5. A wrench, comprising a handle, a jaw rigid on one end of said handle, said handle being recessed inwardly of the sides thereof, a sliding jaw upon said handle having the lower surface thereof provided with a series of teeth adapted for communication with the handle recess, a locking lever pivoted intermediate its ends within the recess of said handle, said lever having a series of teeth upon the eXtreme top thereof adapted for cooperation with the teeth of said sliding jaw, so that when said handle is rocked to extend from said lever, said lever teeth will be out of engagement with the sliding jaw teeth to permit adjustment of said sliding jaw, said lever when folded within said recess lying inwardly of the hand engaging surfaces of said handle to have the teeth thereof in intermeshing relation with the teeth of said sliding jaw to lock the latter in a determined position with respect to said fixed jaw.

ORVILLE H. DICKEY. 

